Boiler help needed, I think I'm being taken for a ride :(

[jeff the gasman]

@ianmcd No there is no bubbling sound (kettling I believe it's called) when it does fire up and ignite. When it ignites it's a super boiler.

@topgazza We purchased the property a year ago and as such it was not us that had the boiler installed so the sale & install was not us. We paid for a one off repair as we don't yet have it on a service agreement and obviously the manufacturer won't touch us now until it's been power flushed. Mind you if their answer to ignition problems is to get the system power flushed I don't think I want them near my boiler again once they've fixed it.

The engineer that came yesterday took a water sample from the boiler (when I was out of the room) and showed me lots of sediment in the sample but interesting I have taken numerous (yes many) samples of water from the boiler drain point today and all have been spotless, i.e. no sign of any particles big enough to see with the naked eye. The samples I have taken have been after varying periods of non use (turned off and then after showers etc. I think his sample bottle must have been contaminated somehow, I wonder how that happened?

Bad samples are easy from the pump bleed screw. It's a con.

 

[ianmcd]

No there is no bubbling sound (kettling I believe it's called) when it does fire up and ignite. When it ignites it's a super boiler.

No Kettling is a completely different thing , Kettling sounds like a Kettle is boiling as the heat cant get out of the boiler fast enough , the bubbling is a condensate problem very common with your boiler

 

[snes]

OP - it may be old fashioned, but bearing in mind the long phone wait time, why not write to them?

Put everything down calmly and clearly (as highlighted on this thread) and also make clear that you have opened a charge-back procedure with your c/card company. Then keep a copy, as your c/card company will want full details also, and wait.......

If Glow Worm choose to ignore your letter, they will certainly get a rude awakening when the c/c company issue the charge back notice.

Good luck, buddy!

 

[Agile]

Unfortunately I cannot pass the engineers details to gas safe as he never left any paperwork but I will report it to them so they have an idea of the shoddy workmanship of one of their members.

Thanks for your help guys, really appreciated.

That demonstrates the importance of taking the name of the engineer who visits.

You can also ask him for identification before letting him into your house. Most staff engineers will carry their employers photo identity card.

And you can ask him to show you his Gas Safe card!


Joke for engineers only, doing the pump dirty water trick for power flushing makes it look as if he is ex BG !


Tony

 

[Needaholiday]

Called this morning and have managed to escalate to a 'manager'. She has agreed to send an engineer tomorrow to re-appraise the issue, roll on tomorrow

 

[Needaholiday]

That demonstrates the importance of taking the name of the engineer who visits.

I obviously got his name but only his first name. Will ask for his gas safe card tomorrow when a different engineer visits. I find it hard to believe that they leave no paperwork after a visit and required no signature from me <surprised>

Will update you all on the findings.

 

[Needaholiday]

@ianmcd Thanks for the explanation mate, appreciated. This is the first combi boiler we've had and also the first condensating one so not sure what noises are normal but there are no, what I would call, unusual sounds or noises emanating from my boiler when it agrees to ignite / stay lit.

 

[TJDB]

I feel for you on this, I hate these dispute situations that seem to come up all the time. I agree with what's been said that a system flush is completely disconnected from the ignition system. You could try to push them to guarantee that a system flush will fix the fault because you believe it is disconnected, then when it doesn't fix the fault they are required to give a full refund for the system flush as being irrelevant work... that way you get a free system flush out of them. I suspect they will back down at that point.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I feel for you on this, I hate these dispute situations that seem to come up all the time. I agree with what's been said that a system flush is completely disconnected from the ignition system. You could try to push them to guarantee that a system flush will fix the fault because you believe it is disconnected, then when it doesn't fix the fault they are required to give a full refund for the system flush as being irrelevant work... that way you get a free system flush out of them. I suspect they will back down at that point.

One would need to stipulate it would solve specific error codes as a half decent manager could wiggle out of that easily enough otherwise.

 

[Needaholiday]

It just annoys me that on the word of one of their engineers (who I believe managed somehow to obtain a contaminated water sample from my boiler) they were washing their hands of me until this morning's phone call.

I also told the 'manager' that if the engineer who visits tomorrow determines that the requirement for a power flush is unrelated or just plain not needed I want compensation for my phone calls but more importantly my 'time wasted' and 'stress caused' and on a recorded telephone call she agreed and I have her email address

It also annoys me that either that engineer is under instruction from Glow Worm to lie / believes his own stupidity / or is totally dishonest. Would he have said the same to a 90 year old and frightened her to death?

 

[Agile]

Because most boiler servicing is so telephone based nowadays, it makes me wonder if many still have the capabilities to reply to letters.

It would not surprise me if you wrote a letter to them, invoked the credit card dispute and they failed to respond allowing you to be given the refund.

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

Every system will have contamination of some kind and it annoys me no end when this tactic is used by big companies to wiggle out of these long warranties.

 

[Agile]

I obviously got his name but only his first name. Will ask for his gas safe card tomorrow when a different engineer visits. I find it hard to believe that they leave no paperwork after a visit and required no signature from me <surprised>

Will update you all on the findings.

They don't need to leave anything for you or have your signature.

But he will have registered a record of the visit and sent that to the employer by email/web means. But that can be company confidential so you may not be entitled to see what he said.

What is the official name of the company doing this visit? You mention GlowWorm but I rather doubt that is really is.

I always think it is very unprofessional that staff engineers don't have business cards to give you on arrival. But virtually none do.

It seems that even BG engineers don't normally give their surnames, only a first name.

Tony

 

[Needaholiday]

.... it makes me wonder if many still have the capabilities to reply to letters.

Have you ever tried to get a postal address either from a company's website or by phoning a company. It's like trying to get blood out of a stone these days


@Dan Robinson That's the whole point this is not a warranty thing. I paid for a one off repair to my boiler. Having only been in this property for a year and never having had a condensing combi before I didn't realise how annoying it would be if it failed as my previous house had an open vent system with a real hot water tank. Boiler was 20 years old when we sold the house and no problems (OK..probably not as efficient) once the main PCB was repalced at 13 months old...but that's another story.

 

[Needaholiday]

@Agile I originally booked the repair through the Glow Worm website but the confirmation emails come from @groupservice.co.uk ([email protected]) would that make sense and is that one that you've heard of?

Tried the domain but no website present.

Bad experience of domestic & general (with a washing machine) previously so I wonder if these companies are all the same